TLinden16
Scotty and Ray at Jelly Rolls are the best!
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2002
- Messages
- 16,243
Day 10--Friday, August 22, 2003
Cast of characters
Me (Karen)--Planner of the trip and family Disney nut
Marie--My older sister
Michelle--My 11-year-old niece
I woke up at 7:00 after my late night at Jellyrolls. I had a priority seating for breakfast at the Cape May Café, but decided to skip it after being disappointed by the lack of roast beef hash the day before. I opted for a chocolate chip muffin from the lounge off the registration area instead. The muffin was huge, and very tasty. It was a bit heavy, though. I wound up throwing half of it away.
At about 8:15, I headed towards the International Gateway. I had to be at Guest Relations near Spaceship Earth by 8:45 for my Undiscovered Future World tour. When I got to the gateway, there was one family in front of me. The security guide searched us better than any other security guard throughout or entire trip. I was half expecting a strip search.
Once through the International Gateway, it was a very surreal experience walking through the park with very few other guests around. I took my time walking, and enjoyed the beauty of the United Kingdom and Canada with hardly anyone around me. There was a family about 20 yards in front of me, and another 20 yards behind me. The only other people I ran into were a couple of janitors sprucing up the park. It was neat walking through, and snapping pictures of the United Kingdom and Canada without anyone in them.
Before leaving the World Showcase, I stood at the railing for a few minutes, and just enjoyed the tranquil beauty of the lagoon and all of the pavilions. There was no one around me, and it was a beautiful experience to enjoy the moment by myself.
I then headed towards Guest Relations. There were very few people walking in to go to the character breakfast in Norway, so I was able to get some great shots of Spaceship Earth and the fountain without anyone else in them. It's so rare to get pictures of the park icons without other guests in the background, so I really got some great pictures. I stopped someone, and asked her to take a couple of pictures of me standing near the fountain with Spaceship Earth in the background.
I then made my way to Guest Relations for the start of my tour. Before the tour officially began, we were able to stand and watch the mad stampede into the park when the ropes dropped at 9:00. It's so bizarre to be standing there, watching everyone rushing for the rides. There was one guy who was just sprinting and had a 10 foot lead on the pack by the time he passed Guest Relations. We saw grannies pushing past teenagers. Parents pushing a little one in a stroller and dragging the rest of the troops, urging them to hurry along. It was really an interesting site to see. It was truly an experience to watch the mad rush from inside the park.
I am now going to go into a detailed report on the Undiscovered Future World tour. If you do not want to read about the tour, you should skip the section between the asteriks.
**************************************************************
Our tour finally began a few minutes after 9:00. Our guide, Raymond, took us over to a planter near Spaceship Earth. He told us a bit about the history of the original plans for Epcot, and showed us a sample of the material used to build Spaceship Earth, and the Epcot sign on it.
We then headed over, and took a tour of the House of Innovations. I had never done this tour, so it was interesting, but I was disappointed that it was on the tour, as it was something that I could have done on my tour. I felt like it was only part of the tour because they needed to fill up the four hour tour time.
We then, took the first of two breaks in the tour at the old Pasta Piazza restaurant. Raymond walked us by some photographs in the building, and gave us some background information on them every now and again. He also spent several minutes talking about the Pasta Piazza restaurant, telling us where we could go to buy the food that used to be sold there, and how nice it was that they kept the tables there for people who bring in bag lunches (we paid money for this tour to hear that amazing behind the scenes tidbit about Epcot?).
We then went to the lounge at the Living Seas (the most beautiful lounge at Disney according to Raymond). We spent quite a bit of time in the lounge looking at the furniture and artwork. Raymond told us all about how we could rent the lounge for functions, and spent a great deal of time telling us about the underwater tours offered at the Living Seas. This tour really started to become a four hour commercial for the other tours and amenities offered at Epcot.
We then went to the Land Pavilion, and Raymond showed us a gem on the mosaic outside the building that the designer used to "sign" the building. Raymond also told us about the significance of the hot air balloons inside the building.
We took our second break of the day before heading into the creative greenhouse at the Land. John, a college student from Missouri, explained some of the experimental ways they grow vegetables and spices in the Land greenhouses. He took some branches off a plant, and let us smell some of the spices. John did a great job explaining everything to us, and took a few minutes to get to know us. When we left the greenhouse, Raymond made sure to tell us that we got just a taste of what we could experience on the Behind the Seeds tour.
We walked backstage for a few minutes, but didn't get to see much back there. We came out a barrier near Imagination and then headed over to the Universe of Energy. Raymond spent several things about the building (snooze). We then headed to the Wonders of Life, where Raymond showed us a hidden Mickey in a mural.
We then went to Mission: Space, and Raymond explained the significance of the globes in front of the building. At Raymond's suggestion, most of us grabbed Fast Passes to go on Mission: Space after the tour.
We then went backstage again near Test Track. We stood underneath the track on the loop, and got to see how much it shakes when the cars are zooming by. We also got a quick peak at the bottom of the cars, and saw just how many tires are in each vehicle.
We then went to the cast building. Please notice the sarcasm in my typing in the next sentence. Raymond showed us exciting areas of the cast building like the buses that run around the perimeter of Epcot to move the cast around, and the payroll department (aren't you all jealous? I got to see the payroll department). We did slip into the costume department for a few minutes, and that was pretty cool.
The most interesting thing to see in the cast building was Pride Hallway. Each area of Epcot created a panel for their country, pavilion, or department. The artwork was quite good, and very creative. I wish we could have spent more time looking at each panel.
We then went into a training room to meet with Carlos, a Guest Relations cast member from Brazil. The had cold drinks waiting for us when we arrived. Carlos spent about 20 minutes telling us about Brazil (everything from currency and language to rain forests and food), and told us about his experience working at Disney. Carlos was adorable and funny, but I didn't think that a social studies lesson was a part of the tour.
We then went over to the area where they store the globe and fireworks barges used for Illuminations. The globe seems a lot smaller when you are standing twenty yards from it than when you are viewing it from the lagoon during the show. Raymond told us that there are fire proof boxes on the barge that an explosive technician sits in during the show. The person has to sit there holding two dead man buttons while the show is going on. Raymond explained how there was a drawbridge near the refreshment outpost that opens to let the barges in, and I got to see the drawbridge open later in the day.
We then walked backstage a little longer, and wound up leaving through a backstage door in China to end the tour. Raymond gave us pins for the tour, a Fast Pass for Test Track that never expires, and offered us a 20% discount off lunch at Nine Dragons. We were also invited to go to a special viewing area for Illuminations that night.
I'm sure after reading my big long description of the tour, you can guess that I was very disappointed by it. I felt that most of the tour was basically 10 and 15 minute segments they threw in there just to make up the four hour tour time. A good chunk of the tour involved areas where guests are free to roam and investigate on their own. Other parts of the tour (like the lounge in the Living Seas) were areas that just didn't really need to be shown. A lot of the information Raymond told us about Walt Disney was the same as I had heard on the Keys to the Kingdom tour, and the stories were slightly altered to change the meaning of them (for example, Raymond and my Keys to the Kingdom guide use the same basic story for the creation of Mickey, but had different stories about how the name was changed from Mortimer to Mickey). I didn't feel that the tour was worth the money, and I am planning on writing Disney a letter about the tour.
*******************************************************
After the tour, I went to Nine Dragons for lunch to take advantage of the 20% discount. I had enjoyed my pot stickers and General Tsos chicken so much on Wednesday that I got the same meal again. It was just as good as it was on Wednesday.
It was then time to use my Fast Pass at Mission: Space. I got in line for my Fast Pass, and the ride was experiencing technical difficulties, so I decided to try to come back later in the day, as they told me I could use my Fast Pass later. I would be meeting up with my sister and my niece later in the day, so I grabbed an extra Fast Pass so I could take my niece on the ride.
I then went to meet up with my sister and niece. They were just about to have their picture taken with the living statue in Italy, so I got in the picture. The statue kept on pushing my hat down to cover my face when they took the picture. We also watched the Masqurade guys interacting with the guests.
My sister and niece had gotten Fast Passes for Test Track, so we headed over there. I used the Fast Pass I was given on my tour. We went through the line, and we were one car away from going on the ride when they shut it down because of an approaching thunderstorm. We had priority seating for Le Celliar, so we couldnt wait for the storm to stop. I explained to a cast member that we had priority seating, and he gave us purple passes to get on the ride later in our trip.
We ran through the storm to Le Celliar (I knew the area pretty well, so we were able to duck inside a couple of times, and take some little used pathways to get there). The lightening was very close, and my sister was pretty nervous about running through the storm. Michelle was afraid that the lightening would hit her braces. I told them that there were lightening rods all over the parks, and it wasnt likely we would get hit.
We arrived at Le Celliar a few minutes late, and were seated within ten minutes. Our waiter, Josh, was a bit hyper and animated, but he was very nice and helpful. I started off with cheddar cheese soup, which was as delicious as ever. Marie and Michelle split a caesar salad, and said it was very good. Michelle ordered a cheeseburger. Marie and I both ordered filet mignon. Our filets were very tender and tasty. The cream cheese mashed potatoes were outstanding. Marie and Michelle passed on dessert, but I had to have a chocolate moose. Marie and Michelle kept on teasing me for eating the chocolate moose because it was so cute. Josh took a picture of us with the chocolate moose. At Michelles suggestion, we used our hands to make moose ears, and stuck out our tongues.
It was still pouring when we left Le Celliar, so we ducked into the Oh Canada movie. I havent seen the movie in a while, I really enjoyed watching it. Canada really is a beautiful country, and the movie made me want to visit Vancouver, Toronto, and Nova Scotia (where there is a bridge named after my dads cousinthe Angus L. McDonald Bridge).
We had tickets for E-ticket night, so we went took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. It was still pouring out. We just put on our ponchos, and made the best of it. As soon as we walked in, we were told that Splash Mountain was closed. We went to Tomorrowland and I took Michelle on Space Mountain while Marie went on Alien Encounter. We road on Buzz Lightyear, and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, and then Michelle and I went back on Space Mountain. Michelle and I sang, Its A Small World throughout the ride on Space Mountain. We probably drove everyone crazy. We ended the night with a ride on the Haunted Mansion.
I was a bit disappointed by E-ticket night. Between the rain and Splash Mountain being closed, the lines were a bit longer than normal for the rides that werent outdoors. I think that if its pouring as hard as it was, they should really open up some other dry rides (perhaps Pirates or Peter Pan). We really didnt get that much accomplished while we were there.
I said goodbye to Marie and Michelle at the bus stop, and we parted to go our separate waysMarie and Michelle went back to the POR, and I decided to go back to Jellyrolls. I called to find out who was performing, and when I found out Scotty and Ray were working again, I knew I had to go. I got off at the Swan and walked to Jellyrolls, figuring it would save me several minutes, and afford me the opportunity to see an extra song or two by Scotty and Ray.
I arrived at Jellyrolls midway through Scotty and Rays second set of the evening. When I walked into Jellyrolls and took a seat in the back, Scotty recognized me from the night before, and smiled at me. I made it just in time to see Scotty do Rainbow Connection and it made me laugh just as much as it did the first time I saw it. Between sets, Scotty was walking around the bar, so he stopped over to say hello to me.
When Scotty and Ray came back on, I decided I had to throw another big tip their way, but this time I was going to make Scotty earn that money for the tip jar. I had loved the way Scotty sang Buttercup the night before, so I decided to request it. I put a twenty on Scottys piano, and requested the song. They had already played ths song before I got there, so Ray was like, "Should we play this song for her or give her her money back? This woman was here for our entire set last night." Then Scotty pipes in, "Karen requested the song. You're name's Karen, right?" So, I said yes. Ray says, "So, should we play the song for Karen even though we already did it, or should we give her her money back." Ray made a comment aobut how I put a twenty down, and cracked, That would give us enough money to by three of those ponchos, and get some change back. He asked again if they should play the song for me, and every cheered. Ray and Scotty both said, This ones for Karen.
I wound up staying at Jellyrolls until it closed at 2:00am. I walked back to the Beach Club slowly, recalling all of the wonderful things Id done on my trip, and sad because I would be leaving Disney World in less than twelve hours. I stayed up until 3:30 packing my bags.
Cast of characters
Me (Karen)--Planner of the trip and family Disney nut
Marie--My older sister
Michelle--My 11-year-old niece
I woke up at 7:00 after my late night at Jellyrolls. I had a priority seating for breakfast at the Cape May Café, but decided to skip it after being disappointed by the lack of roast beef hash the day before. I opted for a chocolate chip muffin from the lounge off the registration area instead. The muffin was huge, and very tasty. It was a bit heavy, though. I wound up throwing half of it away.
At about 8:15, I headed towards the International Gateway. I had to be at Guest Relations near Spaceship Earth by 8:45 for my Undiscovered Future World tour. When I got to the gateway, there was one family in front of me. The security guide searched us better than any other security guard throughout or entire trip. I was half expecting a strip search.
Once through the International Gateway, it was a very surreal experience walking through the park with very few other guests around. I took my time walking, and enjoyed the beauty of the United Kingdom and Canada with hardly anyone around me. There was a family about 20 yards in front of me, and another 20 yards behind me. The only other people I ran into were a couple of janitors sprucing up the park. It was neat walking through, and snapping pictures of the United Kingdom and Canada without anyone in them.
Before leaving the World Showcase, I stood at the railing for a few minutes, and just enjoyed the tranquil beauty of the lagoon and all of the pavilions. There was no one around me, and it was a beautiful experience to enjoy the moment by myself.
I then headed towards Guest Relations. There were very few people walking in to go to the character breakfast in Norway, so I was able to get some great shots of Spaceship Earth and the fountain without anyone else in them. It's so rare to get pictures of the park icons without other guests in the background, so I really got some great pictures. I stopped someone, and asked her to take a couple of pictures of me standing near the fountain with Spaceship Earth in the background.
I then made my way to Guest Relations for the start of my tour. Before the tour officially began, we were able to stand and watch the mad stampede into the park when the ropes dropped at 9:00. It's so bizarre to be standing there, watching everyone rushing for the rides. There was one guy who was just sprinting and had a 10 foot lead on the pack by the time he passed Guest Relations. We saw grannies pushing past teenagers. Parents pushing a little one in a stroller and dragging the rest of the troops, urging them to hurry along. It was really an interesting site to see. It was truly an experience to watch the mad rush from inside the park.
I am now going to go into a detailed report on the Undiscovered Future World tour. If you do not want to read about the tour, you should skip the section between the asteriks.
**************************************************************
Our tour finally began a few minutes after 9:00. Our guide, Raymond, took us over to a planter near Spaceship Earth. He told us a bit about the history of the original plans for Epcot, and showed us a sample of the material used to build Spaceship Earth, and the Epcot sign on it.
We then headed over, and took a tour of the House of Innovations. I had never done this tour, so it was interesting, but I was disappointed that it was on the tour, as it was something that I could have done on my tour. I felt like it was only part of the tour because they needed to fill up the four hour tour time.
We then, took the first of two breaks in the tour at the old Pasta Piazza restaurant. Raymond walked us by some photographs in the building, and gave us some background information on them every now and again. He also spent several minutes talking about the Pasta Piazza restaurant, telling us where we could go to buy the food that used to be sold there, and how nice it was that they kept the tables there for people who bring in bag lunches (we paid money for this tour to hear that amazing behind the scenes tidbit about Epcot?).
We then went to the lounge at the Living Seas (the most beautiful lounge at Disney according to Raymond). We spent quite a bit of time in the lounge looking at the furniture and artwork. Raymond told us all about how we could rent the lounge for functions, and spent a great deal of time telling us about the underwater tours offered at the Living Seas. This tour really started to become a four hour commercial for the other tours and amenities offered at Epcot.
We then went to the Land Pavilion, and Raymond showed us a gem on the mosaic outside the building that the designer used to "sign" the building. Raymond also told us about the significance of the hot air balloons inside the building.
We took our second break of the day before heading into the creative greenhouse at the Land. John, a college student from Missouri, explained some of the experimental ways they grow vegetables and spices in the Land greenhouses. He took some branches off a plant, and let us smell some of the spices. John did a great job explaining everything to us, and took a few minutes to get to know us. When we left the greenhouse, Raymond made sure to tell us that we got just a taste of what we could experience on the Behind the Seeds tour.
We walked backstage for a few minutes, but didn't get to see much back there. We came out a barrier near Imagination and then headed over to the Universe of Energy. Raymond spent several things about the building (snooze). We then headed to the Wonders of Life, where Raymond showed us a hidden Mickey in a mural.
We then went to Mission: Space, and Raymond explained the significance of the globes in front of the building. At Raymond's suggestion, most of us grabbed Fast Passes to go on Mission: Space after the tour.
We then went backstage again near Test Track. We stood underneath the track on the loop, and got to see how much it shakes when the cars are zooming by. We also got a quick peak at the bottom of the cars, and saw just how many tires are in each vehicle.
We then went to the cast building. Please notice the sarcasm in my typing in the next sentence. Raymond showed us exciting areas of the cast building like the buses that run around the perimeter of Epcot to move the cast around, and the payroll department (aren't you all jealous? I got to see the payroll department). We did slip into the costume department for a few minutes, and that was pretty cool.
The most interesting thing to see in the cast building was Pride Hallway. Each area of Epcot created a panel for their country, pavilion, or department. The artwork was quite good, and very creative. I wish we could have spent more time looking at each panel.
We then went into a training room to meet with Carlos, a Guest Relations cast member from Brazil. The had cold drinks waiting for us when we arrived. Carlos spent about 20 minutes telling us about Brazil (everything from currency and language to rain forests and food), and told us about his experience working at Disney. Carlos was adorable and funny, but I didn't think that a social studies lesson was a part of the tour.
We then went over to the area where they store the globe and fireworks barges used for Illuminations. The globe seems a lot smaller when you are standing twenty yards from it than when you are viewing it from the lagoon during the show. Raymond told us that there are fire proof boxes on the barge that an explosive technician sits in during the show. The person has to sit there holding two dead man buttons while the show is going on. Raymond explained how there was a drawbridge near the refreshment outpost that opens to let the barges in, and I got to see the drawbridge open later in the day.
We then walked backstage a little longer, and wound up leaving through a backstage door in China to end the tour. Raymond gave us pins for the tour, a Fast Pass for Test Track that never expires, and offered us a 20% discount off lunch at Nine Dragons. We were also invited to go to a special viewing area for Illuminations that night.
I'm sure after reading my big long description of the tour, you can guess that I was very disappointed by it. I felt that most of the tour was basically 10 and 15 minute segments they threw in there just to make up the four hour tour time. A good chunk of the tour involved areas where guests are free to roam and investigate on their own. Other parts of the tour (like the lounge in the Living Seas) were areas that just didn't really need to be shown. A lot of the information Raymond told us about Walt Disney was the same as I had heard on the Keys to the Kingdom tour, and the stories were slightly altered to change the meaning of them (for example, Raymond and my Keys to the Kingdom guide use the same basic story for the creation of Mickey, but had different stories about how the name was changed from Mortimer to Mickey). I didn't feel that the tour was worth the money, and I am planning on writing Disney a letter about the tour.
*******************************************************
After the tour, I went to Nine Dragons for lunch to take advantage of the 20% discount. I had enjoyed my pot stickers and General Tsos chicken so much on Wednesday that I got the same meal again. It was just as good as it was on Wednesday.
It was then time to use my Fast Pass at Mission: Space. I got in line for my Fast Pass, and the ride was experiencing technical difficulties, so I decided to try to come back later in the day, as they told me I could use my Fast Pass later. I would be meeting up with my sister and my niece later in the day, so I grabbed an extra Fast Pass so I could take my niece on the ride.
I then went to meet up with my sister and niece. They were just about to have their picture taken with the living statue in Italy, so I got in the picture. The statue kept on pushing my hat down to cover my face when they took the picture. We also watched the Masqurade guys interacting with the guests.
My sister and niece had gotten Fast Passes for Test Track, so we headed over there. I used the Fast Pass I was given on my tour. We went through the line, and we were one car away from going on the ride when they shut it down because of an approaching thunderstorm. We had priority seating for Le Celliar, so we couldnt wait for the storm to stop. I explained to a cast member that we had priority seating, and he gave us purple passes to get on the ride later in our trip.
We ran through the storm to Le Celliar (I knew the area pretty well, so we were able to duck inside a couple of times, and take some little used pathways to get there). The lightening was very close, and my sister was pretty nervous about running through the storm. Michelle was afraid that the lightening would hit her braces. I told them that there were lightening rods all over the parks, and it wasnt likely we would get hit.
We arrived at Le Celliar a few minutes late, and were seated within ten minutes. Our waiter, Josh, was a bit hyper and animated, but he was very nice and helpful. I started off with cheddar cheese soup, which was as delicious as ever. Marie and Michelle split a caesar salad, and said it was very good. Michelle ordered a cheeseburger. Marie and I both ordered filet mignon. Our filets were very tender and tasty. The cream cheese mashed potatoes were outstanding. Marie and Michelle passed on dessert, but I had to have a chocolate moose. Marie and Michelle kept on teasing me for eating the chocolate moose because it was so cute. Josh took a picture of us with the chocolate moose. At Michelles suggestion, we used our hands to make moose ears, and stuck out our tongues.
It was still pouring when we left Le Celliar, so we ducked into the Oh Canada movie. I havent seen the movie in a while, I really enjoyed watching it. Canada really is a beautiful country, and the movie made me want to visit Vancouver, Toronto, and Nova Scotia (where there is a bridge named after my dads cousinthe Angus L. McDonald Bridge).
We had tickets for E-ticket night, so we went took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. It was still pouring out. We just put on our ponchos, and made the best of it. As soon as we walked in, we were told that Splash Mountain was closed. We went to Tomorrowland and I took Michelle on Space Mountain while Marie went on Alien Encounter. We road on Buzz Lightyear, and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, and then Michelle and I went back on Space Mountain. Michelle and I sang, Its A Small World throughout the ride on Space Mountain. We probably drove everyone crazy. We ended the night with a ride on the Haunted Mansion.
I was a bit disappointed by E-ticket night. Between the rain and Splash Mountain being closed, the lines were a bit longer than normal for the rides that werent outdoors. I think that if its pouring as hard as it was, they should really open up some other dry rides (perhaps Pirates or Peter Pan). We really didnt get that much accomplished while we were there.
I said goodbye to Marie and Michelle at the bus stop, and we parted to go our separate waysMarie and Michelle went back to the POR, and I decided to go back to Jellyrolls. I called to find out who was performing, and when I found out Scotty and Ray were working again, I knew I had to go. I got off at the Swan and walked to Jellyrolls, figuring it would save me several minutes, and afford me the opportunity to see an extra song or two by Scotty and Ray.
I arrived at Jellyrolls midway through Scotty and Rays second set of the evening. When I walked into Jellyrolls and took a seat in the back, Scotty recognized me from the night before, and smiled at me. I made it just in time to see Scotty do Rainbow Connection and it made me laugh just as much as it did the first time I saw it. Between sets, Scotty was walking around the bar, so he stopped over to say hello to me.
When Scotty and Ray came back on, I decided I had to throw another big tip their way, but this time I was going to make Scotty earn that money for the tip jar. I had loved the way Scotty sang Buttercup the night before, so I decided to request it. I put a twenty on Scottys piano, and requested the song. They had already played ths song before I got there, so Ray was like, "Should we play this song for her or give her her money back? This woman was here for our entire set last night." Then Scotty pipes in, "Karen requested the song. You're name's Karen, right?" So, I said yes. Ray says, "So, should we play the song for Karen even though we already did it, or should we give her her money back." Ray made a comment aobut how I put a twenty down, and cracked, That would give us enough money to by three of those ponchos, and get some change back. He asked again if they should play the song for me, and every cheered. Ray and Scotty both said, This ones for Karen.
I wound up staying at Jellyrolls until it closed at 2:00am. I walked back to the Beach Club slowly, recalling all of the wonderful things Id done on my trip, and sad because I would be leaving Disney World in less than twelve hours. I stayed up until 3:30 packing my bags.
For me that was the highlight of the tour. We actually went in a back door and saw part of the dinosaur area when there were no cars running. It was very cool. And I had hoped that the whole tour would have been as neat. 
